| Flockaveli | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 5, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2010 | |||
| Studio | Next Level Studios,Houston; NightBird Recording Studios,West Hollywood; S-Line Ent.,Atlanta | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 72:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Waka Flocka Flame chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Flockaveli | ||||
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Flockaveli is the debut studio album by American rapperWaka Flocka Flame. It was released through1017 Brick Squad,Asylum, andWarner Bros. Records on October 5, 2010. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name and that of the Italian political theoristMachiavelli,[3] and was inspired by fellow American rapperTupac Shakur, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli.[4] The album was recorded at Next Level Studios inHouston, NightBird Recording Studios inWest Hollywood, and S-Line Ent. inAtlanta.[5]
Upon its release,Flockaveli received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its musical intensity, brazen lyrics, andgangsta rap ethos. The album debuted at number 6 on theBillboard 200, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies in the United States. As of August 15, 2011, the album sold 400,000 copies in the United States.
Flockaveli is acrunk album.[1] It was primarily produced byLex Luger, whose bombastic, grimly-programmed production incorporatesdrill 'n' bass808trills,bass kicks, hand claps,[1] confrontationalbeats,[2] densesynthesizers, andshiftingsub-bass layers.[6] Waka Flocka Flame's unrefined street raps feature constantad libs.[2] According toPitchfork Media's David Drake, the songs reducegangsta rap to its archetypical themes: "hypermasculine children of thedrug trade, recklessfatalism, intensity, and physicality ... Waka's aggression is the survivalist reaction of the powerless, directed toward the threats of the immediate environment."[2]
The album'slead single, titled "O Let's Do It" was released on April 14, 2009.[7] The song features guest appearances from a fellow American rapper Cap, with production by L-Don Beatz.[8] The song peaked at number 62 on the USBillboard Hot 100.[9] The remix to "O Let's Do It" was released, from which features guest appearances from fellow American rappersDiddy,Rick Ross, andGucci Mane.[10]
The album's second single, titled "Hard in da Paint" was released on May 13, 2010. The song was produced byLex Luger. In July 2010, a music video for the song was released.[11] The remix to "Hard in da Paint" was released, from which features guest appearances from American singerCiara and fellow American rapperGucci Mane.[12]
The album's third single, titled "No Hands" was released on August 17, 2010. The song features guest appearances from fellow American rappersRoscoe Dash andWale, with production byDrumma Boy.[13][14] The song peaked at number 13 on theBillboard Hot 100, making it his highest charting single in the United States.[15] It is his best-selling single of all time, being a certifieddiamond byRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[16]
The album's fourth and final single, "Grove St. Party" was released on February 15, 2011. The song features a guest appearance from fellow American rapper Kebo Gotti, with its production by Lex Luger.[17] The song has charted at number 74 on the USBillboard Hot 100.[18]
There are also music videos for the songs such as "Snake in the Grass" (featuring Cartier Kitten),[19] "Bustin' at Em",[20] "For My Dawgs",[21] and "Live By the Gun" (featuringRa Diggs andUncle Murda.)[22] On October 18, 2010, Waka Flocka Flame performed "Smoke, Drank" live onhigh-definition TV at theRoxy Theatre inWest Hollywood.[23]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[24] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [25] |
| NME | 9/10[26] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[2] |
| PopMatters | 6/10[1] |
| RapReviews | 7.5/10[27] |
| Rolling Stone |  [28] |
| Spin | 7/10[29] |
Flockaveli was released byAsylum Records on October 5, 2010. It debuted at number 6 on the USBillboard 200, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies in the United States.[30] As of August 15, 2011, the album has sold 285,000 copies, according toNielsen SoundScan.[31]
Flockaveli received generally positive reviews from critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 75, based on 9 reviews.[24] Jaimie Hodgson fromNME commented that the album's songs "showcase a masterclass in reductionism; juggernauts of hulking, bruising, brick-to-skull intensity."[26]BBC Music's Louis Pattison praised Waka Flocka Flame's "cold charisma", writing that "it's channelled successfully here, a presence that permeatesFlockaveli utterly."[32] Ben Detrick ofSpin complimented its "unforgiving crush of unveiled threats over ricocheting drums and choleric synths", and called Waka "more agitator than rapper—imagineDJ Kool as an unhinged goon with a fetish for brawling and gunfire."[29] Sean Fennessey ofThe Village Voice called producer Lex Luger "a force whose tinnitus-inducing tracks demand replay" and concluded, "Ultimately, the inflammatory Waka is an avatar for a new rap economy: few words delivered with force, with an eye to the stage and the check that arrives with it."[33]Pitchfork critic David Drake described it as "a furious torrent ofgangsta rapId," and praised Waka for giving the album its "frenetic intensity".[2]
Rolling Stone writerJody Rosen was less impressed and found Waka Flocka Flame's skills "negligible."[28] Patrick Taylor ofRapReviews called Waka "a blunt instrument that beats you into submission", and stated, "On an intellectual level, I don't likeFlockaveli. The lyrics are simplistic and goonish. The music is effective but all sounds the same. If I was looking for an example of what hip-hop should be, it's not Waka Flocka Flame. On a gut level, though,Flockaveli works. It's morally questionable, but it hits hard".[27] David Amidon fromPopMatters described it as "a producer classic littered with verses so whack they become endearing in their special way", adding that Luger "pulls that special kind of synergy unique to hip-hop out of [Waka] again and again."[1] Amidon wrote of its cultural significance, "This is a very specific album intended for a specific audience: downtrodden, powerless, forever seeking payment, pussy and freedom from the powers that be but in the process of accepting they may never find that experience. This is strictly hood music ... it's been a very long time since a hip-hop release felt like it truly didn't give a fuck about anything but its local community while pushing its genre forward as much as possible."[1]
In 2012,Complex named the album one of the classic albums of the last decade.[34] In 2014,Billboard called the single "No Hands" the ninth most successful song in the 25-year history of theirHot Rap Songs chart.[35]
On September 30, 2025,Pitchfork released their list of the top 100 best rap albums of all time, on whichFlockaveli was ranked 92nd.[36]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bustin' at 'Em" | 4:03 | ||
| 2. | "Hard in da Paint" | Malphurs | Lex Luger | 4:06 |
| 3. | "TTG (Trained to Go)" (featuringFrench Montana, YG Hootie, Joe Moses, Suge Gotti, and Baby Bomb) |
| Lex Luger | 5:05 |
| 4. | "Bang" (featuring YG Hootie and Slim Dunkin) |
| Lex Luger | 4:23 |
| 5. | "No Hands" (featuringRoscoe Dash andWale) | Drumma Boy | 4:22 | |
| 6. | "Bricksquad" (featuringGudda Gudda) |
| Lex Luger | 3:57 |
| 7. | "Fuck the Club Up" (featuringPastor Troy and Slim Dunkin) |
| Southside | 4:39 |
| 8. | "Homies" (featuring YG Hootie, Popa Smurf, and Ice Burgandy) |
| Prince N.Purps | 4:54 |
| 9. | "Grove St. Party" (featuringKebo Gotti) |
| Lex Luger | 4:10 |
| 10. | "O Let's Do It" (featuring Cap) |
| L-Don | 4:08 |
| 11. | "Karma" (featuring YG Hootie and Popa Smurf) |
| Lex Luger | 3:52 |
| 12. | "Live by the Gun" (featuringRa Diggs andUncle Murda) |
| Lex Luger | 4:09 |
| 13. | "For My Dawgs" |
| Cedric "Yayo" Herbert | 3:21 |
| 14. | "G-Check" (featuring YG Hootie, Bo Deal, and Joe Moses) |
| Lex Luger | 4:18 |
| 15. | "Snake in the Grass" (featuring Cartier Kitten) |
| Lex Luger | 2:58 |
| 16. | "Smoke, Drank" (featuring Mouse, Kebo Gotti and Bo Deal) |
|
| 4:32 |
| 17. | "Fuck This Industry" |
| Lex Luger | 5:09 |
| 18. | "Rumors" (Bonus track) |
| Joey French | 3:29 |
| 19. | "Gun Sounds" (Bonus track) |
| Southside | 3:36 |
Credits forFlockaveli adapted fromAllMusic.[37]
Weekly charts[edit]
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